


a safe place

by summernevercame



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Cuddling, Depressed Robert, Healing, Idiots in Love, Its really soft, Kissing, Like, Love Confessions, M/M, Soft words, and smoking and drinking, hes still being very self destructive, non sexual nudity, not relevant here, post amandas graduation, post roberts 3rd date, robert kind of needs some sense talked into him, so soft, soft, thats all - Freeform, tho that is, trans dadsona, uhhhhh, very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 16:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19772296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summernevercame/pseuds/summernevercame
Summary: “So that’s what this is about.” Elio says with a small sigh. “You’re so hooked into not being good enough for me that you’re just going to push me away altogether? That you’re not even going to let me be here for you as a friend?”“Will you tell me what the goddamn point is?”Elio sighs, snatching the cigarette from him and snuffing it out, flicking it into the grass with the other.“I don’t think that you’re ready to hear this, but I think that you need to.” He says fiercely, and Robert makes eye contact with him.Robert doesn’t look away from him this time, and doesn’t reach for another cigarette, either.“I love you.” Elio says. “I’m in love with you, and that means I want it all. I want the good and the bad-especially the bad. I want your bad days when you can’t get out of bed and you can’t text me back. I want to hold your hand and kiss your forehead and help you through it. I want to be there when you crash and burn and you feel like nothing is ever going to get better, and I want to tell you that it’s going to be alright and hold you until you start to believe that a little bit less and me a little bit more.”





	a safe place

Robert has never been one for keeping in regular contact with his friends. Elio found that out relatively quickly after meeting him and even when they became friends. Texts would go days and days and days without being answered, before Robert would show up outside of his house in the middle of the night to whisk him off for whatever adventures Robert fancied to have. 

So no, Robert has never been one for responding to messages. But Elio has always been a worrier. Ever since Amanda’s graduation party and they’d had the ‘just friends but with feelings’ conversation, which to this day Elio still goes over in his head and tries to unpick again and again and again, he’s barely heard from the man. 

He’s been out of town for a month or so, he took Betsy and his truck and he was gone. Not a goodbye, not a nothing. Elio understands, he _tries_ to understand, but when Robert is sitting there one moment saying that Elio is special to him and the next moment he’s disappearing for a month without another word, Elio doesn’t quite know what to believe.

He knows that Robert’s working on himself. He’s been back in town for a week now, though it could be more; the days sort of all blur together now that Amanda’s gone. Elio’s reached out a few times and sent him a message or a text, but Robert’s ignored him. 

He gets it. But it doesn’t stop him from feeling hurt. He gets… needing some space, but admitting to having feelings for someone doesn’t equate to point blankly ignoring them for a month and a half in Elio’s mind. Then the insecurities start to creep in. That maybe Robert’s already moved on, or he realised that he didn’t feel that strongly after all, that he said it because it was what Elio prompted, that he doesn’t like him anymore, that… There are hundreds of reasons and excuses swirling in his mind and none that Elio wants to believe. 

He’s seen Robert doing better. He has. He looks cleaner; his clothes aren’t crumpled and his hair looks washed. He may or may not have peered in his window one day while passing by his house and from what he can tell his living room looks nice and tidy. There are no empty bottles and dirty clothes scattered about. He knows from Mary that he hasn’t been spending much- if any of his time down at Jim and Kim’s, but that’s all he’s gotten out of her. 

Elio just wishes that Robert would give him something, anything. Even just a text to say that he needs more time, needs more space. Elio isn’t trying to come onto him, Elio just wants to know that he’s okay. That he doesn’t hate him. That he’d like to take him up on that offer for a friend. 

He’s knocked on his door a sum total of once since he saw that Robert was back and Robert didn’t answer and Elio hasn’t tried again. He’s running out of ways to excuse it. Maybe he should just assume the worst. 

He’s heading out for a walk one night when he sees Robert sat on his porch, cigarette in one hand, glass of whisky in the other. The bottle is nearly empty and it’s resting next to him on the ground. Robert takes a long drag of his cigarette, eyes falling closed as he blows out the smoke. 

Elio bites his lip and steels himself, heading right on over there and plonking himself down on the porch next to him. 

Robert doesn’t outwardly do anything much. He takes another drag and glances at him, lifting his glass and taking a long swig until it’s drained. He reaches for the bottle to top his glass up and Elio snatches it from him before he can, moving it to the other side of the porch and out of Robert’s reach. Robert reaches out for it, fingers curling as his hand drops. 

He still doesn’t say anything and Elio doesn’t even know where to begin. 

“Mary said you weren’t drinking anymore.” Elio says at last and Robert flicks his cigarette butt onto the grass, getting another out and lighting it up. 

“Did she?” He says, though it isn’t a question. More of a statement. He sounds tired. 

“I’m not going to ask you if you started that bottle tonight.” Elio says and Robert huffs a laugh. 

“Good choice.” He says, and that’s all the answer that Elio needs. 

“What’s going on?” He asks, turning to look at him at last, imploring him- _pleading with him_ \- to let him in. 

“What, you think a month out of town and I’m better? That I’m not drinking or smoking and I’m happy and fine and we can go off and get married and live happily ever after?” He asks. His voice is bitter and he’s not looking at Elio as he talks, blowing smoke out in front of him. 

“Don’t put words in my mouth.” Elio frowns. 

“Yeah.” Robert says, though Elio isn’t quite sure what he’s agreeing to. “What are you doing here, Elio?” He asks, giving him a long and hard look. 

Elio looks back but doesn’t respond. 

“You should just go home. Go home and move on, ‘cause you’re gonna be waiting forever and ever and goddamn ever.” 

“So that’s what this is about.” Elio says with a small sigh. “You’re so hooked into not being good enough for me that you’re just going to push me away altogether? That you’re not even going to let me be there for you as a friend?”

“Will you tell me what the goddamn point is?”

Elio sighs, snatching the cigarette from him and snuffing it out, flicking it into the grass with the other. 

“I don’t think that you’re ready to hear this, but I think that you need to.” He says fiercely, and Robert makes eye contact with him. 

Robert doesn’t look away from him this time, and doesn’t reach for another cigarette, either. 

“I love you.” Elio says. “I’m in love with you, and that means I want it all. I want the good and the bad- _especially the bad_. I want your bad days when you can’t get out of bed and you can’t text me back. I want to hold your hand and kiss your forehead and help you through it. I want to be there when you crash and burn and you feel like nothing is ever going to get better, and I want to tell you that it’s going to be alright and hold you until you start to believe that a little bit less and me a little bit more.”

Robert doesn’t stop looking at him. 

“I want all the shitty parts and the fucked up parts, and I want to hear about your day and for you to tell me how goddamn awful it was and how badly you want a drink and cigarette and how badly you want to scream and cry and yell. All the parts of you that you hate, and that you don’t think are good enough, I want to love. All the parts that you don’t think anyone could even _like_ , I want to love enough for the both of us so that you don’t have to. I want to love you enough for the both of us to pull us through this until you can. Even if you think you never can, and even if you never can. I want them, and I want you. I want all of you. I don’t want to wait for a version of yourself that you’ve crafted for me because that’s not who I’m in love with, I’m in love with this.” 

Robert has clenched his jaw but he still doesn’t look away and Elio gestures vaguely to him. 

“I’m in love with all of this- shitty parts and all. I want to hold your hand while it hurts and until it hurts just a little bit less. I want to be there so that you know that you have _always_ got someone to catch you when you fall and to pick up the pieces when you break. That I’m always going to pick you back up and kiss all of your wounds better, even if we both know that it won’t heal them. I don’t want you to push me away and suffer while you try and push through this alone, because you don’t have to be alone. Because even if you don’t want that, I’m your _friend_ , and I _love you_ , and I am never going to judge you because I love every single little piece of you, every single little piece that you hate, I love. Even if I can’t help, even if I can’t make the pain go away or help you get better, I can be there so that you’re not alone, because you shouldn’t be alone and you _know_ that.”

Robert takes in a shaky breath, and only lasts about four seconds before tears have welled in his eyes and they’re rapidly spilling down his face. Elio pulls him into his arms, Robert burying his face in the crook of Elio’s neck, body shaking as it’s wracked with sobs. 

Elio doesn’t shh him, doesn’t say anything at all, just holds him. He just holds him and gently rubs his back and lets Robert get it all out, because he needs to. He really, really needs this. 

“Let’s get you inside.” Elio murmurs once Robert’s sobs have subsided and he’s quietly sniffling into him, because Elio knows that they’re just sitting out here on the porch, and while it’s relatively dark, he knows from experience that it’s not dark enough that anyone in any one of the houses around here would have a full view if they glanced out their windows. And if Robert’s anything it’s proud, and Elio doesn’t want anyone else to see him like this. 

Robert nods and Elio helps him up, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him in the door. 

He leans against the wall in the hallway, Robert’s weight fully resting against him and they just stand like that for goodness knows how long, Robert’s breathing finally evening and Elio doesn’t know just how long that’s been coming, but he’s glad that he’s gotten it out. 

He doesn’t move until Robert does, doesn’t speak until Robert does, let’s him set the pace. Robert finally moves away from him, not looking at him as he sniffs and wipes his eyes. His cheeks are red and Elio figures that he’s embarrassed. 

He reaches to gently cup his cheek and Robert’s eyes fall closed and he swallows audibly, leaning into his touch. 

“That-” He says, clearing his throat as his voice breaks. “That sounds nice.” He says quietly. “Having a safe place to land sounds… nice.”

Elio smiles softly, gently stroking the pad of his thumb across his cheek. “It’s gonna be okay.” He murmurs. “You are gonna be okay, no matter how long it takes to get there.”

Robert gives a tiny nod, clenching his jaw as his eyes well again, but he blinks the tears away before they can come. 

“I think we should get you in the shower, hm?” He asks softly and Robert sighs softly but nods.

“Yeah.” He agrees, wiping his face again. “Yeah.”

He lets Elio slip their hands together as he leads him towards the bathroom, only just shutting Betsy out as she skids after them and he carefully begins to undress Robert. 

“You tryna get me naked?” Robert asks, lips quirked and Elio rolls his eyes, feeling his cheeks heat. 

“I doubt I’d have to make a ruse of wanting you to clean yourself if I wanted to get you naked. I could probably just ask.” He countered, meeting his eyes and quirking his lips in response. 

Robert huffed a soft chuckle. “Yeah, you probably could.” He moves in to kiss Elio, but Elio presses his fingers to Robert’s lips and gently pushes him back. 

“Not yet.” He says softly and Robert doesn’t protest. 

Elio switches the shower on, setting the water temperature to cool but not freezing and waits for Robert to finish undressing himself. 

“Are you gonna get in with me?” He asks and Elio purses his lips. 

“Depends, are you gonna behave?”

“Cross my heart.” Robert promises, getting in and making a face at the temperature. “Why so goddamn cold?” He frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“You drank nearly a whole bottle of whisky, I needed to sober you up somehow.” Elio replied, slipping out of his own clothes and getting in the shower next to Robert. 

He doesn’t miss the way Robert’s eyes quickly flick over his body before returning to his face and Elio allows himself the same liberty. 

“Will you tell me again?” Robert murmurs. 

“Which part?”

Robert’s lips curl into a soft smile. “You know damn well which part.”

Elio bites his lip and looks at him, stopping himself from reaching out to touch him, to cup his face or stroke his hair, just… something. But he can’t, not yet. 

“I love you.” He says, watching the way Robert’s smile widens as he says it. 

“I haven’t heard that directed at me in a very… very long time.” He says softly and Elio frowns. 

“Then I will tell you it whenever you need to hear it. I love you. I’m so fucking in love with you, Robert, it’s insane.” He says, huffing a small laugh. 

Robert is the one to reach out and cup Elio’s face, stroking his cheek and holding him lovingly and moving in. Elio moves back a little as he makes to press their lips together. 

“Please.” Robert murmurs, their lips ghosting against each other, breathing coming in soft hot waves over each other’s lips. 

If Elio was trying to find it in himself to resist, he can’t at that. How can he? He closes the distance- the very minimal distance- and presses their lips together. It isn’t their first kiss, not by a long shot, but it feels like it. It feels the same way that all first kisses do, full of tentative wonder and longing.

Robert slips his hand around to cup the back of Elio’s head, lacing his fingers through his hair as they move their lips together, and when Elio pulls back for a breath, Robert chases them, kissing him again. 

“You’re not gonna regret this when you wake up, are you?” Elio murmurs against his lips and Robert pulls back to look at him. 

“I could never regret you.” He says and Elio believes him. “Plus, the incessant cold hell water has done wonders for me.” He jokes and Elio giggles. 

He gets the soap and hands it to Robert, Robert reluctantly lathering it in his hands and spreading the suds onto his body as Elio reaches to turn the water temperature up a little. Robert sighs a grateful sigh of relief, finish soaping himself and handing the soap to Elio. 

Elio doesn’t bother with it, because he’s already showered today and instead goes for the shampoo, carefully wetting down Robert’s hair and lathering shampoo into it instead. Robert stands awkwardly still as if he has never had someone wash his hair for him before, or if he has, it hasn’t been for a very long time. He doesn’t protest, though, and lets Elio do it, lets him condition it, too, and wash it all out again. 

Elio is the first to get out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and then handing one to Robert. He gets him his toothbrush next and puts a little toothpaste onto it, before handing it to Robert. 

Robert takes it from him, and his cheeks are a little pink, presumably from being babied like this, but he brushes his teeth for almost a full two minutes and rinses his mouth out. 

“Are you going to stay?” He asks softly as they exit the bathroom, Betsy curled up in a ball outside the door. 

“Do you want me to?” Elio asks and Robert bites his lip, nodding. “Then I will.”

Elio can tell that Robert isn’t used to this. Hell, he _knows_ Robert isn’t used to this, but it’s still strange to see him like this, so vulnerable, so _little_. Elio wants nothing more than to wrap him up in his arms and keep him there forever, nice and safe and snug and warm. 

He walks into Robert’s bedroom, and Robert is the one to slip their hands together this time, trailing after him. He doesn’t say anything as Elio rifles through his drawers, plucking out a shirt for Robert to sleep in and then one for himself, and they both wordlessly change. 

Elio eyes the bed for a moment and then looks at Robert. “Do you have some clean sheets?” He asks and Robert gestures to the closet. 

Elio goes through it until he finds what he’s looking for, stripping down the bed and changing the bedding, opening the window and closing the curtains, flicking the light switch off.

He crawls into bed and Robert does the same, Betsy jumping on after them. There is a moment where they are both clearly having an internal debate of how they are going to lay, but eventually, Elio just lays down and Robert lays right on his chest, body curled around his, head tucked firmly under his chin, and Elio knows that Robert can hear his heartbeat. 

“How are you feeling?” He murmurs, wrapping his arms around Robert, bringing one hand up to gently play with his hair. He knows that Robert doesn’t like small talk, but Elio would fight him on it, if he thought that this counted. It doesn’t. 

“Tired.” Robert says gruffly. 

“I’m sure.” Elio says understandingly. 

A few moments of silence go by and Elio wonders if Robert is falling asleep. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?”

“Ignoring you. Pushing you away. Drinking tonight, I don’t know. Everything.”

“It’s alright.” Elio says. “You’re getting there, and that’s what matters. You’re allowed to have relapses, everyone has relapses. You’re allowed to feel scared and insecure, it’s alright.”

“I’m not… used to having someone like you. Someone who… cares. Who actually cares.”

“It’s just as well you’re stuck with me then, isn’t it?” 

“It is.” Robert agrees and they’re quiet again for a little bit. “Will you tell me again?”

“I love you.” Elio murmurs against his hair and the sigh that Robert exhales is audible. “I love you.”

Robert slips their hands together, stroking his thumb over Elio’s skin. “Someone to hold my hand and kiss my forehead and tell me it’s going to be okay.” He says softly, echoing what Elio had said earlier. It’s good to know that Robert wasn’t drunk enough to forget. 

“If that’s what you want.” Elio says, kissing his forehead.

“It’s what I want.” Robert nods. “You didn’t say it.” He adds with a small smile. 

Elio smiles softly back. “It’s going to be alright.” He murmurs, kissing his forehead again for good measure. 

“Until I start to believe myself a little bit less, and you a little bit more.” He says, holding Elio’s hand a little bit tighter. “To kiss my wounds better without expecting them to heal, to just… hold me through the night and tell me that you love me.” 

He looks up questioningly at Elio, almost unsure, as if something like this can’t possibly be for him, as if someone couldn’t possibly care for him, or want to be there for him and it breaks Elio’s heart. 

Elio answers him with a kiss, soft against his lips and Robert melts against him. He can feel how tired Robert is, he can feel how hard this past month and a half has been, but especially since he got back to town. He can feel just how exhausted he is, but that’s okay. Because Elio has him wrapped firmly in his arms and tucked snuggly under his chin and so Robert can rest, and Elio can keep the demons at bay while he does. And then when he wakes up again, they can battle them together.


End file.
